Abstract

In an Islamic bilingual senior high school in Indonesia, English is used as the medium of instruction (EMI) in almost every subject at the school. In order to be successful at school, students are required to have a minimum English proficiency level. They are, therefore, demanded to be much more proactive to learn and use English both inside and outside the classrooms in their process of transition, as many of them might come from junior high schools that use Indonesian as the medium of instruction. Such a students’ agency relates to the concept of language learner autonomy (LLA), since students who act as agents play a role in constructing the conditions of their learning. LLA has not been discussed widely in the senior high school contexts, especially in Indonesia. Studies that combine the concepts of LLA and students’ agency in a bilingual senior high school are also still scarce. This study addresses these gaps and employs four dimensions of learner autonomy to investigate the bilingual education policy that is aimed at promoting English language learner autonomy. Analyzed data from a case study of four Islamic bilingual senior high school students shows that school language policies that were designed to encourage proactive students’ agency resulted in English language learner autonomy and students’ active classroom participations. This finding implies the need to better design bilingual education policies in high schools in Indonesia that promote English language learner autonomy.

Keyword bilingual education policy, dimensions of learner autonomy, English as a medium of instruction, language learner autonomy, students’ agency